Healthy Living is a combination of many elements and starts at home. It has to do with the environment we live in via the eco-friendly design we opt for, the food we eat, the home cleaning and the beauty products we use.
Organic hair and skin care products are in BIG demand. Organic skin care is more common these days, but organic and 100% pure hair salon products are still rare to find!
Shear Miracles Organic Hair Salon Products is one of the very few companies who delivers on its mission and makes one of the purest hair products line available in the US.
They are taking the world of organic hair care by storm!
We decided to conduct an interview with Robyn Atticks, Founder of Shear Miracles Organic Salon Products.
Q: How did you start Shear Miracles and what was your inspiration?
A: I have been a professional hair stylist for over 19 years, and soon became aware of the many dangers in the beauty industry. In 2005, I decided to open the first organic salon in my area (Lancaster, PA). As I tried the few truly organic hair care products available, I became increasingly discouraged.
Some I found still had dangerous ingredients, while others were outrageously expensive and not affordable to the average consumer.
Taking matters into my own hands, I hired a passionate organic formulator who has been an expert herbalist since the 1960’s. Combining my experience as a stylist and her formulator’s experience as a naturalist & herbalist, a new salon-quality product line was born for hair, skin and body care.
Q: What is your philosophy?
A: To use, support & supply only the purest products with the most professional result, never sacrificing either professional quality or natural purity.
Q: Why should we use organic hair and skin products?
A: Our skin is the largest organ of our body & can absorb up to 60% of whatever we put on it. It only makes sense to put pure health-filled ingredients on our bodies & to avoid the toxic chemicals found in almost every beauty product on the market today.
Q: What is the real definition of “ organic shampoo and conditioner”?
A: Organic Shampoos & Conditioners are made ONLY with 100% certified organic or wild-crafted ingredients.
Q: What should we look for when purchasing hair products? What are the chemicals to avoid?
A: You should look for ingredients that are 100% pure and healthy. All the ingredients should be listed and known to you.
The Top 10 Most Dangerous Ingredients
1. Isopropyl Alcohol
2. Mineral Oil- The skin's natural immune barrier cannot function properly since its ability to breath & absorb moisture & nutrition is suffocated.
3. Propylene Glycol (PG)- It is the active component in antifreeze! It is used to break down the protein & cellular structure- this is what your skin is made of! Because of its ability to penetrate the skin,
4. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- Used in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners & engine degreasers. Also used in 90% of hair shampoos that foam. Possibly the most dangerous of all ingredients in personal care products Staying in the body for up to 5 days, it causes damage to the immune system, weakening the heart, liver, lungs & brain. Much more could be said about this scary substance.
5. FD&C Color Pigments- Causes depletion of oxygen in the body since they are derived form coal tar. Cancer-causing!
6. Polyethylene Glycol- So harsh these are used in oven cleaners. A cheap way to thicken personal products
7. Chlorine- Chlorine- is everywhere! Tap water (which you shower in nearly everyday), pools, laundry products, cleaning agents, food processing, sewage systems, & many others.
EVEN THOUGH YOU WON'T SEE CHLORINE LISTED ON YOUR PRODUCT LABELS, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE AWARE OF THE NEED TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN WHEN BATHING & WASHING YOUR HAIR!!
Shear Miracles sells special shower filters to remove the chlorine from your water.
8. Fragrance- The word fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients which they do not have to disclose. Most of them, if not all, are synthetic, carcinogentic or otherwise toxic.
9. Diethanolamine(DEA), Monoethanolamine(MEA), or Triethanolamine(TEA)-Often combined with other ingredients & listed with their initials, these are hormone disrupting chemicals & are known to form cancer causing nitrates & nitrosamines.
10. Imidazolidinyl Urea & DMDM Hydantoin- These are 2 of the many preservatives that produce formaldehyde. The most serious side effects include weakening of the immune system & cancer. Many brands of skin, body & hair care, antiperspirants & nail polish have these formaldehyde producing ingredients.
Q: How are your shampoos and conditioners made?
A: We never use an ingredient that is GMO. We never use any toxic preservatives - NO parabens or ethanols. They are made in small batches, ensuring freshness and potency. They are always free of artificial colors (FD&C), synthetic chemicals, mineral oil, solvents, pesticide- or herbicide-grown ingredients.
Most importantly, they are created without the use of animal testing.
Q: How are Shear Miracles products different? What makes you unique in your field?
A: We use all special ingredients known to be beneficial to the hair and skin. They are mostly made RAW and many of them are VEGAN. The truth is there are few truly organic hair care products on the market that are affordable. Ours are.
Q: What is your secret “for shiny hair? What do you recommend we all do?
A: Stop using any kind of harmful chemical on your hair & start finding the best, healthiest alternatives today. Read, do some research and educate yourself on what your options are.
Q: What advice can you give for 1st time SM hair products users?
A: Be ready to be wowed! Don’t compare these products to traditional, chemical-laden products. They may act differently than what you are accustomed to; but every time you use them, you will be able to tell how good these products are, and see the difference.
Q: Why did you create organic pet products? and do they really need them?
A: Our Happy Healthy Paws pet care line was a direct result of the love my husband, Don, has for animals & also the continual requests of our customers. Many of them were already using our (people) shampoos on their pets. Pets have skin, too. It is our responsibility to love & care for animals & use products on them that won’t harm them.
Q: What Are Shear Miracles’ best sellers and why?
A: Our best sellers are our hair care line (especially, our Rejuvenate Organic Shampoo & Conditioner for dry hair, our Award-Winning Wild Child Organic Shampoo & Conditioner to add body & volume to the hair, our Award-Winning Calming Organic Shampoo & Conditioner for normal hair, our Pump Up the Volume Organic Mousse, Fresh Styles Organic Spray Gel, Hair Milk Organic Blow Dry Lotion & our Right in the Middle Organic Hairspray)
WHY? Because these products really work and our customers see the difference right away! Our mission is to convert as many traditional salons as possible to non-toxic environments & we are enthusiastically trying to do so.
Q: Is it in your plan to open a retail store since you have such a variety of products?
A: No, our goal is to change the salon experience. Being a hair stylist myself, it is the first place to start. Women need a safe and healthy place to enhance their beauty without harming their health. Professional hair stylists should have the best, safest way to enhance their clients' beauty!
Q: How can people in the San Francisco Bay Area find your products?
A: Until Shear Miracles appears in salons & spas in the San Francisco Bay area, you can find us online at www.shearmiracles.com
Q: What do you want the world to know?
A: We want the world to know that we work hard to ensure that we offer the purest product line available today on the market.
We have a holistic approach. Our products are produced in a way that the skin/body/mind/emotion complex is nurtured simultaneously when our aromatherapeutic array of essences used are applied to your skin, hair and body.
The wisdom for the formulations come from century’s old family product formulations using the latest Eastern & Western technologies & the creation of custom Ayurvedic, Tibetan, Western, European facial & body protocols.”
”Never sacrifice professional quality for natural purity" –you can have both.
For more info go to: [Shearmiracles.com]
Comments
Do you sell samples to try?
Yes! You must order these by phone 888-223-7986. Except for our lipsticks, you may order those on our website.
I am allergic to gluten? what are the shampoos and conditioners you recommend?
All of our shampoos & conditioners are gluten-free!
What do you recommend for my dog? He has a very strong smell and we bathe him weekly. We tried everything!
Thanks!
Try Happy Healthy Paws Organic Shampoo and Deodorant. Just a few days ago we got this great testimony on our Facebook Fan Page:
If you have a pet, YOU NEED TO GET THIS!!! This is by far the best pet deo I have ever used. In fact, we have friends that say our dog is the first that they have ever petted that does not smell like a dog. It is worth every penny! ~ Andrea Keith, Ephrata, PA
Thanks Sophie for writing such a variety of interesting articles that will really help us lead a healthier life. Keep the good work!!! We love you in SF!
Thank you for listing all the toxic chemicals, i had no idea!
I have eczema what do you recommend i use as far as shampoos?
Eczema generally erupts in response to environmental factors such as exposure to products containing harsh chemicals. The Right Stuff Organic Shampoo & Conditioner to maintain a Healthy Scalp should benefit you a lot. I would highly recommend switching your body care products to all natural ones, especially ones that are 100% organic & natural, avoid any kind of alcohol & are high in fatty essential acids.
the article mentions that you sell shower filters to remove chlorine. i couldnt find them on your website. what type of filter is it? can it attach to any size shower head?
We currently do not sell them (we use to), but we do recommend this company: Google Equinox Shower Filters
why is Isopropyl Alcohol so dangerous as a hair care product?
This ingredient is listed on the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database as having strong evidence to cause the following:
Cancer
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Use restrictions
Contamination concerns
Other strong concerns for this ingredient:
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
Other moderate concerns for this ingredient:
Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Occupational hazards
i've tried "non toxic" shampoos before but they dont seem to clean my hair as well so i seem to wash it 3-4 times in order to get that squeaky clean sound. any tips for how to use your shampoos and get good results.
It depends upon how squeaky clean you are going for. Squeaky clean may mean that your hair is being stripped of the beneficial oils which are needed to keep your hair healthy & shiny. Shear Miracles Organic Shampoos give a good clean feeling to the hair, while keeping the hair in tip top shape. Try them! I think you will find that they are different from any other "nontoxic" shampoo you have ever tried. That's why we made them!
what products would you recommend to prevent the frizzy hair. ever since moving to san francisco my hair (wavy) gets frizzy. i hate styling products that prevent the frizz because they make my hair feel stiff and sticky. do you have any products to recommend?
I have curly hair myself, so you can imagine that one of my first priorities was to make styling aids that would not be hard or crunchy. Spray Fresh Styles Organic Spray Gel liberally throughout your curls. When dry, apply Bee Waxed Organic Pomade on the ends. This will maintain softness, while holding and enhancing your curls all day.
great article, very impressed. i just checked out your website and had a question about the personal lubricant. is it safe to use with condoms? i 'm searching for a non toxic lubricant that doesnt cause irritation or yeast infections.
While we have not "clinically" tested them, we have several customers that have used our lubs with condoms for quite some time. They are extremely good for you & have many healing qualities mainly because of the aloe vera & have been recommended by a woman's health professional.
I tried L'occitane shampoo recently and I liked them, I will give this product a try too as I do feel a majority of shampoos out there are not good for your scalp health.
Thanks, Brian! We are always honored when someone gives our products a try! You will love them.
Yes organic and green is the natural way to go today. Thanks for info.
what is best for dandruff? PLEASE help... i tried everything
We have a great shampoo & conditioner that is meant to balance your scalp out so that dandruff stops happening naturally. This s and c combination has helped many of our customers, It is called The Right Stuff Organic Shampoo and Conditioner. Also, avoid all alcohol on your haircare regimen, as alcohol is very drying and almost ALL haircare has it in some form. Our styling aids don't just work great, they have many beneficial ingredients that are good for your scalp and skin, too!
So informative! love all organic products, are you doing organic makeup?
so hard to find a good mascara!
She does have mascara! And it stays on great with out flaking off. I used to use mascara by CG and by the end of the day I had little blck flakes all over my face. Not with SM! it is wonderful!
Yes! Because of popular demand, we recently launched our cosmetic line. Although limited in colors, (we are adding colors as quickly as we can) we currently have mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, wonderful moisturizing lipsticks, cream and mineral foundations!
Do you have a good face cleanser?
Our facial cleansers are one of my favorite products that we offer! My 2 favorites our Miracles Happen Organic Milk & Honey Cleanser & Our Soothing Oats Organic Vegan Cleanser! The vegan cleanser is made with organic apple juice!
As a Shear Miracles Vision Salon owner in PA. I love SM skin care! Its awesome! I use Miracles Happens and I have several clients who buy several cleansers at once to keep on hand in every bathroom.
I have used 100% pure cosmetics, but the make up does not last.
lipstick is gone after 10 minutes. Do you have a good organic lipstick that will stay? How about a good foundation?
YES! Both! I can't wait for you to try them!
It seems there is a market for the new eco-products and some companies are not up to par. Thank you for your informative article
I use many Shear Miracles products, and they are the best natural/organic products I have ever tried, and I am a product junkie! These products are so pure, and not only that, they actually work! Try them; you will love them!
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